Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-08-19
MiscellamenMs.
CLASSICAL CULTURE.

An essay read before the Unity Club Of
Washington, ID. 9.
M. President, Latlies md Gentlemen IL
desire to cross swords tonight with the
lconoclasts who have attacked with such
vigor and virulence the present collegiate
system Of classical culture, and, as their OPP.
position grows, think, out Of radical mis-.
conception OF the function OF education and
an differentiation Of tho classics as means
TO the accomplishment OF tho end In view,
these two points shall be the .foct Of tho dis
cussion.
True education, as the word ITSELF derived,
ultimately, from the proposition 0, out Of, and
the verb duce10, 10 lead implies, Ia the or
derby evolution Of faculties and powers al.
ready potentially existing "a the result of a
divine involution. The soul, as It comes
from the shore Of the great unknown" IL n
germ that contains the flower and fruit of
future life Education mainly consists In
the preparation Of the environment neces-
sary to the germs growth. When the re-
quisite conditions are thus provided, the
multiplex nature mysteriously unfolds, and
the innate powers spontaneously develop.
In the processes Of cultivation the COM
plexity Of mans organism ought never 10
be forgotten. He Is at once a physical, in
tellectual and moral being, lowered with
three distinct sets OF correspondence. Any
system Of education is sadly defective which
does not noursh and develop all the re.
lated and correlated parts of his nature
The cutting of single correspondence pro-
duces partial death A perfect environ
ment Is necessary to perfect development
II is the inexorable law OF life that the use
OF organs and powers results In growth and
disuse In degeneration "lReversion" Is "ever
dragging evolution In the mud" Neglect
OF physical culture, q fault but too common
In our country, Is expiated in groans and
tears. II the intellect be not trained, the
most god-lke mental gifts must lie dormant
In their benlghted possessor. Worst OF all
Is II 10 omit moral education, for though
roses may bloom on the checks and the
light Of intelligence, brighter than the dia-
mond's fash, may gleam In the eyes, II the
conscience, like compass point not TO the
pole.star Of right, the soul Is adrift on the
waiing waters Of lifcs wide ocean.
We are especially concerned this evening
with intellectual culture. We desire 10
know what Is It's final cause, aud what are
the means and methods best TO employ Ifthe
general principles just enunciated be cor
rect, II follows that the primary design Of
all mental education ought TO be the com.
pcte development Of the minds faculties.
Discipline is more Important than instruc.
tion. knowledge" Sir William Hamilton
declares, us itself principally valuable as a
mean Of Intellectual cultivation" The train
ing Of the mind Is higher object than the
acquisition OF truth. This IMPROBABLE pc.
sition Is sharply attacked by many who re-
verse the relative rank Of the elements Of
education, and consider the cultivation OF
the intellect secondary 70 the imparting OF
knowledge, as If the
"brainpan were I'm empty hull,
And every muse tumblcd u science in"
Some holders Of this opinion, wandering
still more widely from tho way, and loudly
pIoclaiming their belief In the practical, moi
only maintain that knowledge is first II
Importance, but also that such knowledge
only should be acquired AZ will in after life
be Of direct utility 10 the student. They
advocate the exclusive study Of the Br0dlots.
Se1lsclt qften, the sciences by which daily bread
Is 10 be earned, and which, 70 use the happy
phrase Of Hamilton, tend 10 qualify a hl
man being 10 act the lowly part Of dexter
GUS instrument" These persons, forgetting
that man can not live "by bread alone,
would chill the flowers Of fancy, stiflc some
Of our noblest aspirations, and ignore the
| thrilling emotions OF our throbbing hearts
| This was Thomas Gradgrind's philosophy d
education. New what want" cries that
worthy, who is fair exponent Of the class u
which refer, "is Facts Teach these boys
aud girls nothing but Facts Facts alone arc
wanted in life. Plant nothing else, and root
out everything else. You can only form the
minds Of reasoning animals upon Facts
| nalhinO elee will ever be of any Rervico tf